A&C
OBAMA’S
VOL. 122, ISSUE NO. 28
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‘PROMISED LAND’ In his new memoir, the former president reminds us what that title means. BY AUDREY KALMAN • TWITTER @AUDKAL17
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ON THE COVER
(Billy Lawson/Emerald)
“He sits down with a pen and a pad,” The New York Times reported. “No modern president has taken as long.” But still, despite its old-fashioned writing process, “A Promised Land” has been met with rave reviews. Although he left office almost four years ago, former President Barack Obama still shines, now by way of his latest book. “A Promised Land” is almost 800 pages of intense details, mostly political ones. But it delivers what we desperately need — a chance to remember what the presidency meant before Trump. Obama didn’t need to prove himself as a writer when he sat down to write “A Promised Land.” He hasn’t needed to prove himself as a writer for a long time, in fact. He completed his undergraduate degree at Columbia University and then went to law school at Harvard, where he was the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. He also taught at the University of Chicago before serving in the Illinois Senate and then the United States Senate. It’s no surprise he is good with words. Given who is currently in office, it is refreshing to remember that an impressive (Audrey Kalman/Emerald) professional and political resume used to be the norm for American presidents. “A Promised Land” is this kind of reassuring reminder, elongated to be 768 pages. Obama details pretty much everything, from his youth and upbringing to his time in the White House and a tad beyond. He describes departing the White House after the 2017 inauguration. He admits his pressing concern for the nation, but he also recalls acknowledging the work he and his administration had done during those two
terms. This emotional duality is crucial when we look back on the Obama years. At times, while reading “A Promised Land,” it takes more than a bit of concentration to keep track of where Obama is in the chronology of his life. He skips around a fair amount, though he always ties it together in the end. His focus on storytelling is evident, as he juices every last drop of a good anecdote out of any and all seemingly isolated situations. For instance, Obama utilizes countless pages to describe — in entertaining detail — pretty much everyone who has ever been on his political team. He talks about his early co-organizers, his campaign leaders and his bodyguards. Not only does he talk about them, but he provides a description vivid enough for a reader to pick the individual in question out of a lineup. It is tiring at times, but Obama is making a point. Even the hefty first half of his presidential memoir isn’t always about him. This effect is augmented by the way that he downplays his own actions and instead emphasizes the decisions of his coworkers, giving them the majority of the credit for his successes. If one thing comes across in “The Promised Land,” it is that Obama is a man of principles. His writing is methodical and dutifully detail-oriented, and readers get the impression that Obama lives his life this way and has for a long time. Obama’s careful and precise style stands in stark contrast to our current American leader. This reminds us how, during the Obama years, being in the Oval Office meant something — a crucial reminder especially as we hope that it may mean something again.
Around OR REGIONAL AND STATE NEWS MORE OREGONIANS NOW ELIGIBLE FOR VACCINE: Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced Tuesday that all Oregonians 65 and older will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine starting Jan. 23, according to The Oregonian. The change in plans came as a response to pressure from federal officials urging states to start vaccinating senior citizens and those with underlying conditions. Brown also said that childcare, preschool and K-12 employees would be eligible to receive a vaccination the same day. – SILAS SLOAN NEW ZONE ART GALLERY MOVES LOCATIONS: After two years in its downtown Eugene location across the street from the Hult Center, New Zone Art Gallery is moving. It will remain open at least until March, but the search for a new building to relocate to downtown continues. The current exhibit, “Firewall,” opened last week and features images of the Holiday Farm Fire that burned the McKenzie River Valley last summer. – GRACE MURRAY
(Will Geschke/Emerald)
OREGON VS. ARIZONA: The Oregon women’s basketball program is set for their next marquee matchup against No. 11 Arizona on Thursday. Oregon, ranked No. 10, rebounded resoundingly after back-to-back losses, thwarting Cal 100-41. Now, Arizona’s Aari McDonald presents their next threat. Oregon’s freshman Te-Hina Paopao will have her hands full guarding one of the best scoring guards in the nation. The game will be shown on ESPN at 4 p.m. – SHANE HOFFMANN
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